The Shield

What does it take to finally surrender after 22 years of addiction?

In this episode of The Shield, Nichole sits down with the fierce and inspiring Misty Gomel. Misty is a Career and Life Coach at Hope Inspired Ministries (partnering with The Foundry) and the host of "The Fixed Fight" podcast.

Misty shares her incredible journey from spending over two decades in active addiction to now helping others discover their hidden talents, build sparkling resumes, and step into their true purpose. We also tackle some of the hardest conversations in the recovery space: the reality of "hitting bottom," breaking codependency, and why we should focus on "choosing yourself today" rather than just counting the years.

In this episode, we cover:

• Work Ready: How Hope Inspired Ministries helps people in recovery dream big again.
• The Turning Point: The two words a life coach said that changed Misty's life forever.
• Family Dynamics: Why you cannot force your loved one to hit rock bottom.
• The 3 F's of Recovery: Faith, Focus, and Fellowship.
• The Fixed Fight: Why we need to stop fighting and start surrendering.

Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Listen to Misty on The Fixed Fight podcast (Live Thursdays at 5:30 PM on TV Studios).
• Learn more about Hope Inspired Ministries & The Foundry: https://hopeinspiredministries.org/

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

What happens after you get sober? Quitting the substance is just the beginning; building a life you actually want to live is the next step.

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield! Today, Nichole sits down with Heidi Moos, the founder of Creative Compass and a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. Heidi shares her incredible journey from being a middle school teacher for the "quiet kids" to helping adults navigate life after addiction.

We dive deep into the concept of "emotional sobriety," how to regulate your nervous system through creative play, and why Heidi launched "Art Lab"—a wildly popular, free community art class for people in recovery and their friends. (Spoiler: You don't have to be "good at art" to attend! )

In this episode, we cover:

• Emotional Sobriety: How to self-soothe and level up once the substance is gone.
• The "Whole Student": Why good teachers change lives, and why Heidi created a "Fan Club" for the middle school misfits.
• The Evolution of Recovery: Moving away from "fixing losers" to treating the whole human.
• Art Lab: Why process matters more than the finished product, and how to join.
• A Hack for Anger: Heidi’s personal art technique for clearing the mind.

Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama.

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Electronic music, heavy bass, and... Narcan?

In this episode of The Shield, Nichole sits down with Anthony Phillips, Sam, and Parker—the team behind Birmingham’s own Slinger Entertainment. Slinger isn't just throwing immersive EDM and bass music events; they are actively working to keep their community alive and safe.

We discuss how Slinger partnered with APC to distribute over 600 Narcan cases to concertgoers. The guys also open up about navigating the entertainment industry's party culture, Parker's inspiring 6-year sobriety journey, and why harm reduction is the ultimate form of community building.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Slinger views Narcan like a "fire extinguisher".
• How Parker navigates the EDM scene while being 6 years sober.
• The genius behind "Fat Stack" events for local DJs.
• The secret to mixing a live band versus electronic music.
• Finding your community in Birmingham's Avondale and Woodlawn scenes.

Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Follow Slinger Entertainment on Instagram for upcoming shows (like May 30th at Saturn!).

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

How does the addiction crisis affect our oldest generations? You might be surprised.

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield! In this episode, Nicole sits down with Morgan Rhodes, a program coordinator at the Area Agency on Aging (based out of the United Way of Central Alabama). Morgan pulls back the curtain on the unique mental health challenges older adults face and the incredible, free resources available to them and their families.

We dive deep into the emotional toll of caregiving, the rising trend of grandparents raising grandchildren due to the opioid crisis, and how a new influx of opioid settlement dollars is providing a lifeline to these families. Plus, Morgan shares expert advice on how to protect seniors from rampant Medicare fraud and modern digital scams.

In this episode, we cover:

• The transition from being a full-time caregiver to finding a new identity.
• How to have the difficult "giving up the car keys" conversation.
• The Older Relative Caregiver Program for those impacted by substance use.
• Why seniors are heavily targeted by Medicare and phishing scams.
• The upcoming free Fraud Summit on May 12th in Hoover.

Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama.

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

10 years ago, the End Addiction Walk was born out of a desperate need to take to the streets and let Birmingham know that help was available. Today, as we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are preparing for our most impactful event yet—and our final one.

Nicole and board member Alabama Cole (The Q 103.7) discuss the evolution of the walk, the new resources available this year (including HIV/Hep C screenings and peer support rows), and why it’s time for APC to graduate into a new chapter.

Register now to join us for this historic event on April 25th, 2026.

https://secure.swell.gives/ENDADDICTIONBHAM/tickets/#/ticket

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

What happens when you take healthcare out of the clinic and bring it directly to the streets?

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield Podcast! 

In this episode, Nicole sits down with Cat Cruz (One Roof) and Dr. Craig Bourne (Cahaba Medical Care) to discuss a groundbreaking new initiative in Birmingham: Care for Our Journey. This interdisciplinary street medicine coalition combines housing navigation, addiction resources, and holistic medical care to meet the unhoused population exactly where they are.

From administering joint injections out of a "soccer mom van" to navigating the complexities of the "savior complex" in social work, Cat and Craig pull back the curtain on what street outreach truly looks like. We discuss the realities of Housing First initiatives, the importance of building trust, and why true success might just mean helping someone get their state ID.

In this episode, we cover:

• What is "Street Medicine" and why is it essential for Birmingham? 
• Breaking the stereotype: Why some individuals choose to sleep rough while working full-time.
• How One Roof, Cahaba Medical Care, and Recovery Resource Center collaborate to reduce barriers to care.
• How to support the Care for Our Journey initiative.

Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama.

Resources:

• Learn more & view the Amazon Wishlist at One Roof: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1BSQCXXQCWBEB?ref_=wl_share

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Welcome back to The Shield Podcast! Today we have our first-ever virtual guest: Matt Bitner-Glindzicz, the aerospace engineer and co-founder of nCase Tech.

After his fiancée tragically lost a childhood friend to an opioid overdose simply because their life-saving Narcan was left at home, Matt realized there was a massive gap in overdose prevention. The medication is too bulky and highly stigmatized, resulting in 90% of owners leaving it behind. Matt left the space-tech industry to engineer a virtually indestructible, discreet, waterproof keychain case for Narcan.

In this episode, Nichole and Matt discuss the tragic origins of nCase, the public health data proving its massive success, and how you can get one for yourself to help save lives at festivals, concerts, and in your daily life.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why 90% of people leave their Narcan at home.
• The tragic event that sparked the creation of N-Case.
• Why the blister pack is terrible for carrying Naloxone.
• The engineering behind making a waterproof, crush-proof case.
• How the APC is distributing these in Birmingham.

Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama.

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield! Today, we are joined by Carrie Buntain, former prosecutor and current Executive Director of the Family Resource Center, located right inside the Jefferson County Family Court.

Carrie pulls back the curtain on the brutal realities of the juvenile justice system, intergenerational trauma, and why a child's life trajectory is often decided by the 3rd grade. But this isn't just a conversation about the problems—it's a masterclass in innovative solutions, including a brilliant story about how her team used a mock trial of rapper NBA YoungBoy to keep high-risk youth out of jail.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The reality of prosecuting child abuse cases.
• Why Section 8 housing shifts are causing community violence.
• The direct link between truancy and future murder charges.
• How the FRC acts as a lifeline for families in crisis.

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield! We are kicking things off with a story of massive transformation—both personal and community-wide.

In this episode, host Nicole reaches out to Frank Long, the Development Director at The Lovelady Center. Before Frank was helping lead the largest transitional center for women in the country, he was navigating the high-stakes world of Alabama politics. He wore the "Brooks Brothers suits" and worked for governors, but secretly, he was wearing a mask to hide a severe battle with addiction.

Frank opens up about his journey from the State House to recovery, and takes us inside the "City Within a City". With over 560 women and 120 children living on-site , The Lovelady Center is doing more than just rehab—they are rebuilding lives through dental schools, cosmetology programs, and radical community.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Politician’s Mask: Frank’s struggle with high-functioning addiction while working in Montgomery politics.

The "City Within a City": How The Lovelady Center feeds 1,950 meals a day and houses over 600 people.

Breaking Barriers: Why the center includes a daycare, extensive medical care, and vocational schools.

The Impossible Story: You have to hear the story of Jocelyn James—a Lovelady graduate who donated her kidney to the police officer who arrested her multiple times.

Resources Mentioned:

The Lovelady Center: https://www.loveladycenter.org/

Children's Trust Fund of Alabama (Season Sponsor) 

Timestamps: 0:00 - Welcome to Season 2! 03:26 - Meet Frank Long 06:28 - The "Brooks Brothers" Mask: Addiction in Politics 11:58 - Finding The Lovelady Center 16:37 - A "City Within a City": The Lovelady Stats 28:21 - Why Dental Care Changes Lives 33:25 - The Miracle Story: Jocelyn James & The Kidney 36:24 - How to Get Involved

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

In the season finale of The Shield, Nichole sits down with George Cowgill, a true Birmingham native and the owner of the Black Market Bar + Grill. George reflects on his experience as a firefighter and how it shaped the way he approaches life, work, and community. He shares insights from his journey of building one of Birmingham’s most popular bar and grills, navigating the challenges of running a business, and making intentional choices that align with his values.

Beyond the business, George talks about being straight-edge and supporting employees in recovery, creating a workplace built on respect and accountability. This episode highlights his life choices, showing how people can support a recovery community even while owning a bar and grill. Life is full of surprises—and George is only just getting started.

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/

https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition